RTÉ lyric fm is Ireland's dedicated classical and arts music station, playing classical music alongside traditional Irish, jazz, world music, musicals and film scores, broadcast from Limerick around the clock. It goes out on FM and digital platforms in Ireland and streams online, and you can listen live right here on Radio Shuffle for free.
What lyric fm Plays
The station, branded "Where Life Sounds Better," features presenters such as Marty Whelan, Aedín Gormley, Paul Herriott, Niall Carroll, Liz Nolan and Lorcan Murray, and its schedule covers classical music, traditional Irish, jazz, world music, musicals and film scores, according to RTÉ's 25th anniversary announcement. It is an accessible classical station, mixing well-loved pieces with a wider arts remit rather than sticking to a strict concert-hall canon.
From FM3 to Lyric FM
The station traces back to FM3 Classical Music, which began on 6 November 1984, initially sharing the network of Raidió na Gaeltachta with limited hours, as Wikipedia's history explains. On 1 May 1999 RTÉ put an extra national FM transmitter network in place and rebranded FM3 as Lyric FM, widening the remit to include jazz, film music and arts programming. RTÉ News reported that the new 24-hour service went on air at noon that day.
Why Limerick?
Alongside the relaunch, the station moved from Dublin to Limerick as part of RTÉ's regionalisation policy, broadcasting from purpose-built digital studios on Cornmarket Row that were described at the time as the most advanced in the country. RTÉ's archive preserves the run-up to the launch. Limerick now has a national classical station on its doorstep, and lyric fm has taken its music to concerts in the city.
Awards, Anniversaries and Challenges
lyric fm won the PPI National Station of the Year award in 2002 and 2004, and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2009 with a concert by the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir. Its 25th anniversary on 1 May 2024 was marked by a gala concert in Limerick with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra under David Brophy, soprano Celine Byrne, tenor Emmet Cahill and three newly commissioned works by Irish composers, aired live on the station. Funding pressures have been a theme too: Wikipedia reports that its budget was cut by about 16 percent in 2020.
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